Relationship Between Intensive Care Nurses' Attitudes and Behaviors Toward End-of-Life Care and Ethical Attitudes

Abstract

Background Nurses are in a central position to improve care for dying patients and their families by challenging current end-of-life practices in their settings. Nurses who care for such patients experience the associated ethical dilemmas. However, the relation between their attitude and behavior regarding end-of-life care and their ethical attitudes is not known. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the relation between the attitudes and behaviors of intensive care unit nurses to end-of-life care and their ethical attitudes in the care process. Methods The research was conducted in Antalya, one of the most populous provinces in Turkey, with 287 intensive care nurses working in 4 different hospitals. The research data were collected between June 30 and August 30, 2021. Self-report data were collected using a Nurses' Description Form, the Attitudes and Behaviors of ICU Nurses to End-of-Life Care Scale, and the Ethical Attitude Scale for Nursing Care. Results The mean score of the intensive care nurses for attitude and behaviors to end-of-life care was 62.36 ± 13.22, and their mean score for ethical attitude for nursing care was 149.76 ± 24.98. Conclusion It was found that intensive care nurses' attitudes and behaviors to end-of-life care had a positive correlation on their ethical attitudes in the care process (P < .001). Discussion It would be of interest to understand how these attitudes impact clinical decision-making for the ultimate understanding of whether nurses' attitudes can be a barrier to the delivery of quality end-of-life care.